Early this year a homeless community set up an encampment along the 10 Freeway by Highland. Not only were some of their members caught attempting burglary but some responded threateningly to local residents during efforts to communicate with them. The last straw for the community was the use of an area for toilet purposes, creating a fecal and urine hazard. The community finally reached out to the California Highway Patrol.

A member of the Mid-City Heights Coalition contacted the CHP Maintenance Division Supervisor Mark Morris who then sent Maintenance Supervisor Michael Cones to survey the area and take photos to document the dumping. A task order was then submitted for review to CalTrans Head Quarters out of Sacramento. Once approved, the location was sent to their contracted company who added it to a list of sites to be cleaned. It took a little over two months for the cleanup to happen once the initial task order was filed. Since CalTrans cannot move or ask homeless people to move, the residents of the encampment are given a 72 hour notice by the CHP to remove their valuables before CalTrans can come in and clean up what was left over. Roxie Brusso from the recently formed Mid-City Heights Coalition, said “We were also told over the phone that once the vagrants are moved/evicted they generally come right back. And that's where the issue really lies. With the horrible homelessness we have in the city, it makes it very difficult to control these encampments.” If CHP cannot coordinate with CalTrans, when the clean up is over the homeless move right back in. The community got lucky and with some help of Senior lead Officers Hector Marquez and Timothy Estevez, who talked to the encampment residents, they have not returned. Until the city gets creative, starts thinking outside the box and comes up with a way to provide safe sleeping areas and toilet facilities for the homeless, along with the health services that many need, these problems will continue to move from neighborhood to neighborhood.

About Us

Established in August of 2008 by writer, artist Dianne V. Lawrence, The Neighborhood News covers the events, people, history, politics and historic architecture of communities throughout the Mid-City and West Adams area in Los Angeles Council District 10.